Piano-truck.



L. S. HUBBARD.

PIANO TRUCK.

AIPLIGATION FILED A'UG. 2, 1909. 968,564. Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Q

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L. S. HUBBARD.

PIANO TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1909.

968,564. Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Lucius s. HUBBARD, or sAi/r'oA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO CHARLES A. NICHOLSON, or SOUTH BAY, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 2, 1909.

Patented Aug.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS S. HUBBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Samoa, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have invented a new and useful Piano-Truck, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trucks of that type particularly designed for use in moving pianos of different kinds. The object of the invention is to provide a truck of this character which is simple in construction and which is provided with means whereby a piano may be supported at any desired elevation while moved, the truck being easily manipulated and capable of be ing folded into a compact body so as to occupy a comparatively small space when not in use.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the truck and showing a piano mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the truck, the adjustable supporting rollers being folded out of sight. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the truck folded. Fig. 4 is a section on the line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line CD of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on the line EF of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 and 2 designate upper and lower spaced boards constituting the base of the structure, these boards being held apart at their ends by spacing blocks 3 extending from end castings 4. One of these end castings has an arched axle 5 journaled therein, the terminals of the axle projecting into rollers 6. Bracing strips 7 are pivotally mounted upon the terminal portions of the axle 5 and are attached to a rod 8 designed to work back and forth within the space between the boards 1 and 2, there being wing nuts 9 or other suitable devices for binding the strips 7 upon longitudinally slotted guide plates 10 which are secured to the sides of the boards 1 and 2.

Longitudinally slotted guide plates 11 are secured to the sides of the boards 1 and 2 and j ournaled within these plates at one end is an arched axle 12 the terminals of which project into supporting rollers 13. Bracing strips 14 are pivotally connected to the terminal portions of the axle and are also pivotally connected to a crosshead 15 which is slidably mounted between the boards 1 and 2 and projects into the slots within the guide plates 11. The middle portion of the crosshead is engaged by an adjusting screw 16 which is swiveled within one of the end castings 4, the outer or projecting end of this screw 16 being provided with a small gear 17.

A pivot stud 18 extends laterally from each side of that casting 4 in which the screw 16 is journaled and these studs project into hinge members 19 each of which has an offset guide sleeve 20 formed integral therewith. These hinge members are fastened to the lower corners of an end board 21 having transversely extending cushions 22 on one face thereof for the purpose hereinafter set forth. Spaced openings 23 are formed in each of the hinge members 19 and either of the openings in each member is designed to register with a corresponding opening in the adjoining casting 4 so as to receive a locking pin 24. It will be apparent therefore that by inserting the pin into one of the openings 23 and into the corresponding opening in the casting 4 the end board 21 can be locked at right angles to the base boards 1 and 2 while, by inserting the pin into the other opening 23 and into the casting 4 said end board can be locked in position parallel with the base boards as indicated in Fig. 3.

Legs 25, formed of angle irons, are slidably mounted within the sleeves 20 and each of these legs has one end portion in the form of a rack bar 26 extending therefrom and slidably mounted upon the board 21. Gears 27 and 28 are ournaled upon the board and mesh with each other and with the respective rack bars, there being a dog 29 which is pivotally mounted on the board 21 and normally engages the gear 28 so as to hold both gears and the rack bars against movement. An angular stem 30 extends from the center of the gear 28 and is designed to be detachably engaged by an actuating crank 31. The lower ends of the legs 25 are forked as shown at 32 and have rollers 33 journaled within them. The upper end of the board 21 has casters 34 secured to the corner portions thereof and designed to cooperate with the rollers 33 to movably support the truck when the same is placed on end after the removal of the crank 31. A gear 35 is ournaled upon the lower portion of the board 21 and is designed to mesh with the gear 17 when said board is at right angles to the base boards 1 and 2. A grip 36 is preferably arranged upon the gear 35 so as to permit the same to be readily rotated manually. detaining devices 37 are secured to the sides of the board 21 and lap and engage the rack bars 26 at points adjacent the gears 27 and 28, these devices and gears cooperating to guide the racks during the movement of the legs upon the board 21.

hen the parts of the truck are in their normal position, the board 21 is upon and parallel with the boards 1 and 2, the same being held in such position by means of the pin 24. The arched axles 12 and 5 are swung into position with their side portions parallel with the sides of the boards 1 and 2 and with the bracing strips 14; and 7 ex tended therebeyond and in alinement therewith. This arrangement of the parts has been clearly shown in F 3. When it is desired to manipulate a piano by means of the truck hereindescribed, the board 21 is unlocked and swung into position at right angles to the base boards 1 and 2 and resecured by means of the pin 24: in the man ner hereinbefore described. The base boards 1 and 2 are then inserted under the piano which has been indicated at G until said piano bears against the cushion blocks 22. The gear 28 is then unlocked and rotated so as to tilt the base boards 1 and 2 and elevate the board 21. When the base boards have been tilted to a desired angle the gear 28 can be locked by means of the dog 29. Gear 35 is then rotated and actuates the gear 17 and inasmuch as this last mentioned gear is secured to the screw 16 it will be apparent that said screw will also be rotated and will shift the cross head 15 longitudinally with in the guide plates 11. The brace strips 14 will therefore be forced against the side portions of the arched axle 12 and will cause said axle to swing into an upright position and thus elevate the intermediate portions of the boards 1 and 2. By adjusting the two sets of rollers 33 and 13 so as to bring them equal. distances from the board 2, the truck base can be held parallel with the supporting surface.

The rollers 6 are particularly useful while the truck is being pushed along an inclined surface or being pulled up or down stairways. \Vhen it is desired to shift these rollers 6 into operative position it is merely necessary to loosen the thumb nuts 9 and to shift the arched axle 5 into lowered position after which they can be held by again tightening the thumb nuts so as to hold the brac- It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

W hat is claimed is:

1. A truck of the class described including a base structure, an end board hingedly connected thereto, cooperating means upon the end board and base structure for locking said board either in position parallel with or at right angles to the base structure, parallel rack bars slidably mounted upon the end board, guides therefor, rollers carried by said bars, gears meshing with the respective bars and with each other means for actuating the gears to simultaneously shift the bars in the same direction, means engaging one of the gears for locking the gears and bars against movement, and. means movably connected to the base structure and cooperating with said rollers to support said structure at a desired angle to the surface on which the truck is mounted.

2. A truck of the class described including spaced members constituting a base structure, longitudinally slotted guide plates connecting said members at the sides thereof, an arched axle journaled within said plates and extending between the members, rollers carried by the terminals of said axle, braces pivotally connected to the end portions of the axle, a longitudinally extending adjusting screw arranged between the base members, a connection between said screw and the braces, means for actuating the screw to shift the axle and rollers relative to the base structure, and means adjustably mounted adjacent said structure and cooperating with the rollers for supporting the structure at a desired angle to the surface on which the truck is mounted.

3. A truck of the class described including a base structure, an arched axle extending through said structure, rollers journaled upon the ends of the axle, braces extending from said ends, a longitudinally extending adjusting screw projecting into the structure, connections between said screw and the braces, a gear upon one end of the screw, an end board hingedly connected to the base structure, means for locking said board at a predetermined angle to the base structure, and means upon said board and movable into engagement with the gear for actuating said gear when the end board is at a predetermined angle to the base structure.

4. A truck of the class described including base boards, spacing devices connecting the end portions thereof, a hingedly mounted end board, means for locking the end board at predetermined angles to the base board, an arched axle mounted for swinging movement and extending between the base boards, supporting rollers carried thereby, braces connected to the aile, an adjusting screw, means actuated thereby for shifting the braces, a gear upon said screw, and a drive gear upon the end board and movable therewith into and out of mesh with the gear upon the screw.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUCIUS S. HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

N. V. FORD, A. L. CorrIN. 

